This is Real
by JellyMermaid520
Summary: Talise never knew the dangers of land-people. Since she could remember, she watched them on land. Until she moves across the world to the Mako pod. Tali found that friends were replaced by bullies. One day, she explores Mako's reef in hopes to calm her mind. Instead, things may have gotten far out of hand... Disclaimer: I own nothing other than my OCs! After Season 4.
1. Chapter 1

All I can do is think.

 _Help._

There was nothing else to do.

 _Help me._

Nobody could hear me, no matter how hard I try.

 _Please._

I was helpless.

 _Answer me._

Until I heard something. I couldn't tell if it was a pod of dolphins, playing and splashing above the water.

 _I need help._

After I heard that noise, I knew I couldn't take this any longer. I had already been down for over four hours, exploring the reef of Mako Island.

 _Somebody._

My tail was still caught under a rock that had fallen from an underwater cave about an hour ago. Just the thought of it makes my sensitive scales hurt.

 _I can't stay down anymore. This is too much._

Everything had started fading. The sunlight, the color of some nearby coral, even of my golden orange tail. There was a sharp pain, but I couldn't tell where I felt it.

The way my arms moved now, from being frantic and fast, became slow and pained.

My eyes had closed. This was it. I could either be saved by the scales of my tail, or I could die. Nothing was certain, and now I felt as if I were in a deep, dreamless sleep.

 _I was unconscious._

 **A/N: Sorry if I just brought y'all down with my sad beginning, but trust me, it gets better!**

 **Anyways, this is my first fanfiction on this site! Sure, I just joined yesterday, but I'm trying to write more this year. So, I'm going to write everyday this month. If I don't write once, please let me know! I constantly check my email because I'm waiting for something for an audition on May 11. If I don't see that I have a comment, that would be quite unexplainable...**

 **Like I said, I will try to update everyday. If not, either I'm ridiculously busy, or I seriously forgot...**

 **Aside from that, I'm currently working on the next chapter while I wait for the time to pass by so I can publish this... Byeeee!**

 **~ Jelly MMs**


	2. Chapter 2

It started back at home, in the Northern pod. I had been there most of my life, but my family moved to the Hawaii pod shortly after I hatched. We stayed there until I was 6 and my little sister, Ryli, was 5. And now, almost ten years later, we moved again.

When I told my friends that we were moving to the Mako pod, they started laughing.

"Talise, have you heard the stories of the Southern mermaids?" Asks Sapphire, wiping a few tears from her blue eyes. Or mybe is was just the ocean. "They use their magic to turn other mermaids into dolphins, and places a curse on them. Only mermaids from a mermaid and a merman could understand them."

"Yeah," answers Shore, Sapphire's twin sister, "and not to mention you speak like them in the end!" How you can tell the two apart, Sapphire was brown hair and Shore is blonde with green eyes.

"I actually heard that they turn you into _land-people_..." The shy Tidae spoke up. Her orange hair bounced up and down with the small waves.

"You mean those three mermaids, the ones that became land-people and saved Mako?" I remember, looking towards the sun for the time. It was nearly setting. "Ahh! I'm late! See you girls when I return!"

"Girl, tell us if those stories are true! If you live to tell the _tail_!" Shouted Sapphire as I duck under the water and swim home. My family left at first light the next morning.

 _-Timeskip-_

It was the next day. It took several hours to swim to Mako, nonstop. And not to mention a _minor_ chase with a shark. I nearly had my tail chewed on. Finally, we arrived at the new pod.

 **A/N: So sorry about the late chapter 2! I was baking cookies like, nonstop... If you knew me, you would understand why. Anyways, the name inspiration I had for Talise was that it was (I believe) Native American. It means ocean or mist. For Ryli, it's a really pretty name and someone I had wanted to expirement with for a while. Sapphire and Shore are quite simple. Tidae (Tie-DAY) is a name I created from Tide.** **Also, this chapter is what happened the day before chapter 1.** **~Jellies**


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as we arrived at Mako Island, I heard Ryli squeal.

"Omigosh omigosh omigosh! It's _the_ Mako Island!" She exclaimed with a sing-song voice. "I heard it's home to _the_ Moon Pool! AAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

I cover my ears Ryli's squeals tend to last a while. When I uncover them, my name is spoken.

"– Alright, Tali?" My mother finished a sentence I never heard.

"What? I didn't catch that... Do you mind repeating?"

"Ugh. Mother said, 'If you girls want to explore, make some friends, or meet your Mermaid School classmates, you may do so while I meet with the Mermaid Council. Alright, Tali?' You know, while you were drifting off with the waves."

"Wow, Ry, you _nailed_ that impression!" I give her a high-five, my small hand meeting her slightly larger. "And I got it... Meet people and... Explore!"

"Just don't go near land, and stay safe. I don't want you two to be in any trouble."

"Of course, mother dearest. Why ever would we cause trouble, thus putting the peace between the Northern and Mako pods at risk?" I answer in an innocent voice.

"That is not something to joke about. Meet at the sea cave closest to the Moon Pool entrance before sunset." With that, our mother ducked under the water and swam away.

 **A/N: Alright, I'm very sorry this is so short, but today is audition day. I was sick this past week and I lost my voice yesterday. It's still gone. And now, my older brother is making fun of me nonstop, every time I speak. And on top of everything, I got that email two days ago! _Two days ago!_ I didn't have enough time to practice! (Yet Sirena had only one day of preparation for her auditions at the Ocean Cafe is S. 1 and practically nailed it. But she managed to lose her voice and still perform that night!)**

 **Anyways, I'm not too proud of this chapter. There was meant to be more. I just hope y'all understand...**

 **~Jellyfish**


	4. Author's Note (And don't worry!)

**Hey, so... Sorry for not updating as often as I may have promised... I've been very busy with personal issues and stuff like that. Starting in a few days, I will try to update more often.**

 **Believe me, I have not forgotten about this story! In fact, my mind has been bursting with ideas that I didn't have enough time to jot them down. They actually left me seconds after I thought of them. But not to worry, I'm working on two parts right now. So far, I have not decided which one would be Ch. 4 and which will be Ch. 5.**

 **Y'all's pick!**

 **1\. Meeting Mermaids (Happens a while after Talise and Ryli's mother swims off to who-knows-where-because-I-forgot)**

 **Or**

 **2\. Anchors Away (Note: This is right before what happens in the first chapter)**

 **But anyways, I might not update until after Saturday, because I'm signed up for some sort of cupcake thing at my local library.**

 **And now to answer y'all's reviews!**

 **many.fandoms.writing: Thanks you! You're speading the love**!

 **tyikamicalacai: I certainly will!**

 **Thanks for reading, guys!**

 **~Jells**


	5. Chapter 4

I swam around with Ryli for quite some time, meeting several other mermaids. Some of them were about two or so years older than myself; they had Moon Rings. The rest of the mers we met were around Ry's age; you could tell in their voices and how childish they acted. Plus, they didn't earn their Moon Rings yet.

Right now, we were at the surface, talking with my sister's new friends. "So I reckon you're not from around here? Your accents are different," stated one mermaid named Lune. She had stunning blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. It was like a mix between Sapphire and Shore, maybe if they weren't twins but simply one person.

"Well, we could technically say the same about you. Your accents are different from what we grew up hearing. But you're native to this area, so we're the odd ones out here," I say quickly, as if I needed to defend both myself and Ryli. Something was... Fishy about Lune. And not just because we're all mermaids here.

I'm going to get to the bottom of this, even if it's deeper than the Mariana Trench.

* * *

After hanging out with Ryli for a while longer, now it was about two or three hours ago, I decide to go exploring a bit more. Ry continued chatting with everyone she could meet. She was always more extroverted than myself. There was the occasional land-people boat above me as I swam. Unfortunately, one anchor almost took off my head. Aside from that, it was a decently relaxing swim.

About thirty minutes later, I come across the mouth of a sea cave, seaweed and kelp swaying at the sides. I peek inside, smiling. Corals, rocks, flowers, oysters and their pearls, and countless other artifacts adorned the walls of this cave. It was beautiful. I swam in deeper, cautiously, as it was a tight area. It appeared to open again on the other side. Surely, one could only imagine how it would look on that side, looking in.

As I'm at the far end, I feel my tail hit something hard. It was stuck at the narrowest part of the cave. I jerk my tail sideways and out, instantly hearing rumbling. The quickest thing I could do was get as close to the end as possible. Without much time to think, either a very large rock or a relatively small boulder lands on my tail. It was very painful, as it was the sensitivity that made it hurt so much. Other large pieces fall, some knocking my upper body and arms. Smaller, unfortunately sharper, fall on my head.

When my vision started darkening, I heard splashing. Maybe it was dolphins playing above, at the surface. If only I remembered how to signal them for help. I never was good at dolphin speak. It's quite a confusing language. I let out a few chirps and squeaks, probably saying something along the lines of, "Hairy squid." They might want to investigate whatever I mean, and come to the rescue!

I stayed there, casually waiting in pain and calling again and again. So far, I had been underwater almost all day. And yes, while most mermaids can swim all night and day without going up for air-and need I mention that hatchlings cannot-I am neither an adult nor a hatchling. If anything, "all day" is the most I could do. And it certainly doesn't help if you have giant rocks covered in algae and slime all over.

A few minutes later, the color seemed to be fading and everything went black. From the glowing coral to the ocean before me, everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N:**  
I'm back! At least until school starts next year. Not saying school isn't over. In fact, I might have school over the summer. And even if I am "back" when school starts again, I most likely won't spend the hour each weekend I have my laptop writing. (Promised my family I would do video calls with them whenever possible.)

As usual until next time,  
~Jelly


	6. Chapter 5

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, dolphins were chirping, and countless cheerful squeals of children roamed about. It was just wonderful to be working at the Marine Park.

Mimmi was working on the toy cart at her usual spot. A few kids would buy a dolphin toy or other souvenir every ten to fifteen minutes throughout the morning. As she was about to turn around after giving a little girl a sea-horse toy, hands covered Mimmi's eyes. The brunette have a small shriek before she heard a voice. "Guess who," it said.

"Hmm... Is it..." She said slowly, "Chris!" The hands were removed from her face and she looked to her boyfriend. The two greeted each other with a quick kiss and smiles were cast upon the couple as they talked. "Good morning! What are you up to?"

"Oh, just wanted to say hi." Chris and Mimmi chatted for a little bit about their day. The former's shift didn't start for another half-hour and the latter didn't have any customers. Their conversation was cut short, however, when Dr. Ross came to the duo.

"Morning, Mimmi, Chris," he said with an expression that was almost anxious. The others took notice. "Uh, Chris, would you join the rescue crew? We seem to be short staff, and there's a report of an injured dolphin in a tunnel near Mako." Chris nodded, and for a moment he looked almost exactly like Dr. Ross. As the man went away, the younger two looked nervously at each other.

"I get the feeling that it... Might not be a dolphin," Mimmi whispered. "I know many dolphins and not one would think of going near a sea cave. If the person reporting this 'dolphin' only heard it..."

"And that could mean a _mermaid_ being injured? What if the crew decides to being her in?"

"They won't let her free of that's the case."

"I'm sure they would be _thrilled_ to have a mermaid here... I better go, if I could hopefully protect your secret." Chris hurried off to join the rescue team, and possibly meet a mermaid.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Welp, this is all I could think of today. Tomorrow, after a good night's rest and hopefully more ideas, I'll work on the next chapter!

Oh, and how do y'all like my daily updates? Because nothing says "new updates" like starting the story a year before you add more! XD

~Jellyfish


End file.
